Integrated use of organic and inorganic sources of nitrogen for improving growth, yield, nutrient uptake and economic returns of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Introduction

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crops and a major component of food security in India. Sustaining wheat productivity requires an adequate and balanced supply of plant nutrients, particularly nitrogen, because nitrogen plays a central role in chlorophyll formation, photosynthetic activity, protein synthesis, vegetative growth and grain development. However, continuous dependence on inorganic fertilizers alone may result in inefficient nutrient use and deterioration of soil fertility when organic nutrient sources are neglected. Farmyard manure (FYM) and vermicompost provide nutrients more gradually than readily soluble mineral fertilizers and can contribute to improved soil biological activity, nutrient availability and soil organic matter. Consequently, integration of organic and inorganic nutrient sources has emerged as an important component of sustainable nutrient management. Recent studies in wheat have reported improvements in growth, yield and nutrient uptake through integrated application of inorganic fertilizers with FYM and vermicompost. The effectiveness of integrated nutrient management depends on the source and proportion of nutrients supplied. A suitable combination can provide readily available nitrogen during periods of high crop demand while organic materials provide a more sustained nutrient supply and improve the soil environment. Studies conducted under Indian conditions have shown that combinations of urea and FYM can enhance wheat yield and nitrogen uptake compared with sole nutrient sources.

Vermicompost has particular importance because it contains readily mineralizable nutrients and biologically active compounds that may improve nutrient availability and root growth. Recent research in Rajasthan and other wheat-growing regions has also demonstrated the potential of vermicompostbased nutrient management for improving crop growth, productivity and economic returns. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate different combinations of inorganic nitrogen through urea and organic nitrogen through FYM and vermicompost and to identify an efficient nitrogen-management strategy for improving growth, yield, nutrient uptake and profitability of wheat.

Materials and Methods

A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2025-26 at the Agricultural Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, School of Agriculture, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, to influence of Integrated Use of Organic and Inorganic Sources of Nitrogen for Improving Growth, Yield, Nutrient Uptake and Economic Returns of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The experimental site is located in a semi-arid, subtropical climate characterized by extreme temperature variations, with hot and dry summers (maximum temperature up to 45°C) and cold winters (minimum temperature as low as 2.8°C). The area receives an average annual rainfall of 500-800 mm, mostly concentrated during the monsoon season. The experiment evaluated ten nitrogen-management treatments in wheat. The treatments consisted of an untreated control and different combinations of the recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) supplied through urea, FYM and vermicompost.

Total tillers

Nitrogen management substantially affected total tiller production. The control produced 92.52 tillers m⁻¹ row length, whereas T 5 recorded the maximum number of total tillers (122.68 m⁻¹), followed by T 4 (118.20 m⁻¹), T 3 (115.45 m⁻¹) and T 7 (112.36 m⁻¹). The CD value of 10.27 indicates that treatment differences were statistically significant. Greater tiller production under integrated nitrogen management can be attributed to improved nitrogen availability during the vegetative phase, which promotes leaf area development, assimilate production and initiation of productive tillers. Similar enhancement in tillering under integrated nutrient management has been reported in wheat.

Yield attributes

The number of effective tillers, grains per spike and test weight were significantly affected by nitrogen management. T 5 produced the highest effective tillers (111.95 m⁻¹), grains per spike (53.75) and test weight (40.55 g). These values were considerably higher than the corresponding values under the control, which were 83.25 m⁻¹, 34.32 grains spike⁻¹ and 38.25 g, respectively. T 4 ranked next for effective tillers and grains per spike, recording 108.05 effective tillers m⁻¹ and 50.45 grains spike⁻¹.

The improvement in yield attributes may be associated with enhanced vegetative growth and better nutrient availability resulting from integrated nitrogen management. Adequate nitrogen promotes the development of productive tillers and supports reproductive growth, while organic sources may improve nutrient-use efficiency and nutrient availability.

Comparable improvements in yield attributes from integrated use of FYM, vermicompost and inorganic fertilizers have been reported in wheat.

Grain, straw and biological yield

Nitrogen management significantly increased wheat productivity. Grain yield increased from 34.36 q ha⁻¹ under the control to 48.25 q ha⁻¹ under T 5 , representing an increase of approximately 40.4% over the control. T 4 produced the second-highest grain yield (46.88 q ha⁻¹), followed by T 3 (45.68 q ha⁻¹) and T 7 (44.85 q ha⁻¹).

Straw yield also increased substantially, reaching 64.15 q ha⁻¹ under T 5 compared with 47.45 q ha⁻¹ under the control. Similarly, biological yield increased from 81.81 q ha⁻¹ in the control to 112.40 q ha⁻¹ under T 5 . Grain yield differences were statistically significant according to the reported CD value of 4.43 q ha⁻¹. The superiority of T 5 may be attributed to the complementary effects of inorganic and organic nitrogen. The 75:25 combination of urea and vermicompost apparently provided an effective balance between immediate nitrogen availability and sustained nutrient release. Increased tiller production, grains per spike and test weight under T 5 consequently translated into higher grain and biological yields. Similar yield advantages from integrated nutrient management have been reported in wheat under Indian conditions.

Harvest index

Harvest index varied from 37.21% under T 1 to 46.46% under T 3 . T 3 recorded the highest harvest index, followed by T 2 (44.42%) and T 9 (43.77%). However, treatment differences in harvest index were statistically non-significant. The comparatively higher harvest index under organic nitrogen treatments may indicate improved partitioning of accumulated biomass towards grain formation. However, the absence of significant differences suggests that nitrogen treatments affected total biomass production more strongly than the proportional partitioning of biomass between grain and straw.

Nutrient content in grain and straw

Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentrations in wheat grain and straw were significantly affected by nitrogen management. Grain N concentration ranged from 1.92% under the control to 2.06% under T 1 . T 5 recorded 2.04% N. In straw, N concentration ranged from 0.67% in the control to 0.77% under T 1 .

Phosphorus concentration in grain increased from 0.39% under the control to 0.48% under T 3 , while straw P increased from 0.175 to 0.192%. Potassium concentration in grain ranged from 0.414% in the control to 0.448% under T 3 , whereas straw K increased from 1.35% to 1.55%. The higher nutrient concentration under organic and integrated treatments may be associated with improved nutrient availability and enhanced root activity. Organic amendments can contribute to nutrient mineralization and improve the soil environment, thereby facilitating nutrient acquisition by plants. Similar improvements in nutrient concentration and uptake have been documented under integrated nutrient management in wheat.

Nutrient uptake

Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake by grain and straw were significantly increased under nitrogen management. T 5 recorded the highest N uptake in grain (98.43 kg ha⁻¹) and straw (48.11 kg ha⁻¹), compared with 65.97 and 31.79 kg ha⁻¹ under the control. Similarly, P uptake under T 5 was 20.27 kg ha⁻¹ in grain and 11.61 kg ha⁻¹ in straw, while K uptake reached 20.60 and 90.45 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. The greater nutrient uptake under T 5 resulted from the combined effects of improved nutrient concentration and substantially greater biomass production. Nutrient uptake is determined by both nutrient concentration and crop yield; therefore, treatments that simultaneously enhance plant growth and nutrient acquisition generally record higher total nutrient removal. Comparable responses have been observed in wheat receiving integrated organic and inorganic nutrient sources.

Economics

Economic analysis revealed considerable variation among treatments. The cost of cultivation ranged from ₹92,500 ha⁻¹ under the control to ₹1,60,788 ha⁻¹ under T 5 . Gross return was highest under T 5 (₹56,975 ha⁻¹ as reported in the dataset), followed by T 9 (₹55,825 ha⁻¹) and T 3 (₹61,500 ha⁻¹). The highest net return was recorded under T 4 (₹1,15,053 ha⁻¹), followed by T 7 (₹99,490 ha⁻¹) and T 6 (₹98,913 ha⁻¹). T 4 also recorded the highest B ratio of 2.79. The superior economic performance of T 4 may be attributed to its combination of high grain yield and relatively favourable cost of nutrient inputs. Although T 5 produced the highest biological and grain yields, its higher cultivation cost reduced its B ratio to 1.82. This demonstrates that the treatment producing maximum biological productivity does not necessarily provide the highest economic efficiency. Similar observations regarding the economic advantage of integrated nutrient management have been reported in wheat.

Overall Discussion

The results clearly demonstrate the importance of integrating organic and inorganic nitrogen sources for improving wheat productivity. Across most growth and yield parameters, T 5 (75% RDN through urea + 25% RDN through vermicompost) emerged as the most productive treatment. It recorded the highest total tillers, effective tillers, grains per spike, test weight, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield and nutrient uptake. The superior response of T 5 suggests that partial substitution of mineral nitrogen with vermicompost can provide a favourable nutrient-supply pattern. Urea supplies readily available nitrogen required during periods of rapid crop growth, while vermicompost releases nutrients gradually and may improve the soil biological environment. This complementary nutrient supply could have promoted better crop growth, nutrient acquisition and yield formation. Recent research from Rajasthan has likewise demonstrated the productivity potential of vermicompost-based nutrient management in wheat. Interestingly, T 4 (75% RDN through urea + 25% RDN through FYM) produced the highest B ratio. Thus, the present results indicate that T 5 may be considered the best treatment for maximizing biological and grain productivity, whereas T 4 may be preferred where economic efficiency is the primary consideration. These findings are consistent with earlier research demonstrating that integrated nutrient management can improve nutrient uptake and productivity compared with inadequate nutrient supply or exclusive dependence on organic sources.

Conclusion

The present investigation demonstrated that integrated application of organic and inorganic nitrogen sources substantially improved growth, yield attributes, yield and nutrient uptake of wheat compared with the untreated control. Among the tested treatments, 75% RDN through urea + 25% RDN through vermicompost (T 5 ) was the most effective treatment for maximizing plant growth, tillering, yield attributes, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield and N, P and K uptake. Grain yield under T 5 reached 48.25 q ha⁻¹, compared with 34.36 q ha⁻¹ under the control. From an economic perspective, 75% RDN through urea + 25% RDN through FYM (T 4 ) recorded the highest B ratio (2.79) and net return (₹1,15,053 ha⁻¹). Therefore, T 5 can be recommended for maximizing crop productivity, while T 4 appears particularly attractive from the standpoint of economic efficiency. Overall, the findings support the adoption of integrated organicinorganic nitrogen management as a promising strategy for improving wheat productivity and nutrient-use efficiency while reducing exclusive dependence on mineral nitrogen fertilizers.

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